Apparatus for manufacturing armored conductores



March 26, 1935. E, J SCHNEIDER APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARMORED CONDUCTORS Filed Jan. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fialnezkld ATTORN March 26, 1935. E. J. SCHNEIDER APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARMORED CONDUUTQRS Filed Jan. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. Qua! 7o nea'dw A TTOfi E Y Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARMORED CONDUCTORS Application January 4, 1929, Serial No. 330,389

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of armored conductors, that is to say, electric conductors involving one, two or more wires or strands contained in jackets or sheaths or insulating material and finally encased in a metallic sheath or casing; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple compact arrangement of mechanisms, whereby armored conductors of the class specified may be produced in a continuous and uninterrupted manner and without necessitating undue handling; a further object being to provide an apparatus involving two rotatable guide tubes, the adjacent ends of which are arranged in spaced relation with means intermediate said tubes for applying one of the protector casings and the outer armored casing to an insulated conductor or conductors transmitted from one tube to another; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in an apparatus of the class specified which is simple and economical in the production of the product in question, and which will effect a saving in machine operations and handling costs as more clearly hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:-

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus which I employ for carrying my improved method into effect and illustrating the manner of producing the product in question.

. Fig. 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of part of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side and sectional view of a part of the product made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine with part of the construction broken away; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail view looking in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. 4.

For the purpose of illustrating one form of apparatus and one way of carrying my improved method into effect, I have diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a frame structure 10, in which are supported two rotatable tubular shafts l1 and 12, the same having bearings as at 13. Said shafts are rotated or operated in synchronism through a chain drive construction represented at 14 and 15 at each end, with the shaft 16 of an electric motor 17 or other power source. Supported in connection with the free end of the shaft 11 is a comparatively large drum 18 having a removable closure plate 19, the latter having an inwardly projecting conical member 20,-which serves to guide the produced conductor outwardly and radially in the drum 18, permitting centrifugal force to cause the conductor to be wound in said drum in a cylindrical stack or pile commonly called a coil of predetermined length.

Supported on the outer end of the shaft 12 and free to rotate thereon is a pulley 21 on which the twisted and insulated strands 22 are normally wound, from which the same is taken for passage into and through the machine in carrying my invention into effect. The strands 22 in passing from the pulley 21 pass around guide pulleys 23 and 24, rotatably supported in a frame 25 which is rotatable with the shaft 12. The pulley 24 is so arranged as to guide the strands 22 centrally into the tubular shaft 12 as will be apparent.

Centrally of the machine and at one side of the shafts 1112 is a metallic strip forming and feeding mechanism 26 which feeds a strip of metal 27 from a spool or drum 28 onto and around the twisted wires 22 to form an armored metallic casing or jacket 29 therefor. The mechanism 26 consists of upper and lower roller dies 26a and 26b which fashion the strip 27 in its passage therebetween into the desired cross sectional form to provide the interlocking of the coils one with the other as in other cable of this class and in the manner indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The roller dies 26a and 26b are actuated from the shaft 11 by a gear 30 on said shaft meshing with a gear 31 on a shaft 31a supported in the casing of the member 26, the other end of the shaft having a pinion 31b adapted to mesh with a gear 38 supported on an adjustable bracket 39 which swings on the axis 40 on which another gear 41 is mounted, the latter gear meshing with the gear 38, and the shaft or axis 40 has arranged on its opposite end a gear 42 which meshes with a gear 43 on a shaft 44, the latter being supported in blocks 45 arranged in the casing or frame of the mechanism 26 and movable in the direction of the axis 40 by adjustment screws 46, the roller die 26a being mounted on the shaft 44 whereas the die 26b is mounted on the shaft 40, and the adjustment screw 46 serves to maintain the die 26a in proper relation with respect to the die 26b. The purpose of the adjustable bracket 39 is to facilitate the mounting of different size gears such as the gear 38 in contrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. -ure it will be apparent, that each of the strands V 22 consists of a conductor strand pro r 22a ennection therewith and change the ratio of gearing between the gears 31b and 41 to regulate the feed of the fashioned strip 2'7 into the ma chine and through the guideway .7.

At the inner end of the guideway 37 and encircling the twisted strands 22 is an extension 32 which operates asa die for curling the strand 2'? coming from the-mechanism 26 into its cylindrical form about the twisted strands 22. The member 32 has an opening 33 into which the strip 27 passes, and the free end portion 34 of the member 32 is offset as seen in Fig. ljof the drawings so as to form the spiral arrangement of the cas-' ing 29 andalso to operate in feeding or rotating said casing in its passage through the shaft 11 and into the receiving drum 18.

Prior to applying the casing 29 to the twisted strands 22, the same are enclosed in a protector casing or jacket 35 consisting of one or more paper strips 35a spirally wound upon the strands 22 and being automaticallyfed or drawn from a spool 36 supported centrally of the frame structure. The paperstrip passes through a suitable guide 37.

The paperstrip 35a which is in the form of a comparatively large roll, note Fig. 2 of the drawings is preferably treated with a waterproof,

I and if desired fireproof compound, and especially with a compound involving a comparatively large amount of wax or greasy substance which will prevent adhesion of the separate windings of the.

strip, and in fact, permit relative movement of "said windings in the flexure of the finished product. It will also be noted that in winding the strip 35a upon the strands 22, the adjacent edges of the separate windings are overlapped to form a complete enclosure which will permit the necessary and desired flexure without exposing formed-by the strip 35a.

As above stated, the rotary movement of the I twisted strands 22 will operate'to automatically wind the strip 35a upon said strandsand this result is accomplished slightly in advance of the member 32 or that part of the machine where the strip 27 is fed into and around the strands 22 with the casing 35 thereon.

A portion of the product produced in accordance with my improved method is illus- From this figclosed in a rubbercasing or jacket 22b around which is a protector casing or jacket 22c preferably of braided fabric. These conductors or strands are first enclosed in the protector casing or sheath 35 and are finally enclosed in the metallic sheath or casing 29. I 7

From the foregoing, it will beapparent that a continuous and uninterrupted process or method of forming the complete and finished armored cable is produced in a simple, positive and economical manner without interference with the high speed of production of products of the class under consideration, and avoiding the necessity of independent operations, especially in the application of the casing or jacket 85.

' t Will be understood that while I have shown and described a specific arrangement of mechanism and have illustrated one specific form of product produced in accordance with my improved method, that I am not necessarily limited in these respects, and various other changes in and modifications of the method herein set forth maybe made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising two independently rotatable tubular shafts arranged with their adjacent ends in spaced relation and in common axial alinement, a conductor spool rotatably supported in connection with one of said shafts, guide pulleys adjacent said spool, means rotatable with said shaft supporting said guide pulleys for guiding the passage of the conductor from said spool into and through said shaft, a receiving drum supported in connection with the end of the other shaft and onto which the finished product is adapted to be coiled, means intermediate the adjacent ends of said shafts for applying an armored casing to the conductor as it passes from one shaft to the other, and means in advance of said first named means for'applying prising two independentand rotatable tubular shafts arranged with their adjacent ends in spaced relation and in common axial alinement, a conductor spool rotatably supported in .connection with the end portion of one of said shafts and upon which twisted conductors are arranged for delivery into the machine, means involving an arm rotatable with said'spool for guiding the twisted conductors from the spool into and through said tubular shaft, a receiving drum supported in connection with the end portion of the other shaft and into which the finished conductor is adapted to be collected, means intermediate the adjacent ends of said shafts forapplying an armored casing to the conductors'as.

they pass from one shaft to the other, means .for rotating said shafts in synchronism, and

.means in advance of the armor applying means for applying a protector casing to the conductor prior to the application of the armored casing thereto.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising two independent and rotatable tubular shafts arranged with their adjacent ends in spaced relation and in common axial alinement,

a conductor spool rotatably supported in connection with the end portion of one of said shafts and upon which twisted conductors are arranged for delivery into the machine, means involving an arm rotatable with said spool for guiding the twisted conductors from the spool into and through said tubular shaft, a receiving drum supported in connection with the end portion of the othershaft and into which the finished conductor is adapted to be collected, means intermediate the adjacent ends of said shafts for applying an armored casing to the conductors as they pass from one shaft to the other, means for rotating said shafts in synchronism, means in advance of the armor applying'means for applying a protector casing to the conductor prior to the application of the armored casing thereto, and the means for rotating the shafts comprising an electric motor, said motor having a shaft, the ends of which are placed in direct operative engagement with said tubular shafts in a common ratio drive to provide the synchronized rotation of said tubular shafts.

4. A machine of the class described comprising an elongated frame, two elongated tubular shafts, spaced bearings in the machine centrally and longitudinally thereof and in which said shafts are mounted, means at adjacent ends of the shafts for rotating the same in synchronism, a spool rotatably coupled with the end of one shaft, said spool containing twisted conductors for supply to the machine, means rotatable with said spool and comprising spaced pulleys, one arm ranged outwardly of said spool and the other in alinement with the axis of said shaft for guiding the conductors from said spool into said tubular shaft, the conductors extending across the space between adjacent ends of the shafts, a receiving drum rotatable with the free end of the other shaft and into which the conductors are adapted to be coiled, and means for applying protective casings to the conductors intermediate the adjacent ends of said tubular shafts.

EDWIN J. SCHNEIDER. 

